I was disappointed with Rick Morrissey’s May 24 column in which he questioned whether you should want your son to grow up to be a major-league ballplayer and then provided reasons for a negative response.
He cites the rigors of too much travel. Players are free to remain at home during the off-season and are on the road for only half the regular season. One might properly argue that this still represents a great deal of business travel, but millions of business people travel 50 weeks a year, in far less comfort than major-league ballplayers, and for a great deal less money.
He cites too many temptations and their effects on relationships. There are, I suspect, men on major-league rosters who manage to avoid such temptations. He cites Michael Jordan, who seems somewhat adrift in the aftermath of a huge career. I don’t sense much sympathy for Michael in this regard; his public image remains strong.
A spot on a major-league roster is the dream of countless young ballplayers. I suggest there are very few major-league ballplayers who would willingly take another job for which they were qualified. Given this, the wishes of a parent regarding a baseball career seem moot.
